Aetna (NYSE: AET) and Bon Secours Health System (BSHSI) today announced a new accountable care agreement that will support 57,000 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries in Kentucky, New York, South Carolina and Virginia. Bon Secours will use technology and care coordination services from Aetna subsidiary Healthagen to help coordinate health care for Medicare beneficiaries whose primary physician participates in the Good Help ACO. The agreement is designed to improve the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries under the Medicare Shared Savings Program while lowering overall health care costs. In addition, Aetna will begin administering Bon Secours’ employee medical benefits plan beginning September 1, 2013. Bon Secours provides health benefits to 12,000 employees and their dependents. “Working together with Bon Secours, we are bringing fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries a new model of health care that emphasizes coordination and collaboration,” said Tom Grote, president of Aetna’s Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. operations. “We are excited to empower Bon Secours’ physicians with greater access to the information and resources they need to better care for patients and make the experience simpler and more effective. We also look forward to supporting the medical benefits for Bon Secours’ employees.” Coordinating Care for Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sponsors the Medicare Shared Savings Program to facilitate coordination and cooperation among providers to improve the quality of care for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries and reduce unnecessary costs. Healthagen will provide Bon Secours sophisticated technology, analytics and care coordination staff to help physicians care for Medicare patients who need support for emerging and chronic health issues. The capabilities will complement existing Bon Secours technology, such as electronic medical records. Healthagen solutions will include: Health information exchange technology for the secure, two-way exchange of health information across a patient’s entire care team; and Desktop-based access to clinical decision support and workflow tools to help physicians track, monitor, coordinate and report on patient health outcomes. “This is an exciting partnership between two well-established organizations. It brings together our extensive primary care network with Aetna’s insurance skills. I believe the partnership will accelerate our transformation to higher value for our communities,” said Marlon Priest, M.D., BSHSI’s chief medical officer. By identifying the individuals who may benefit, the care team can offer clinical programs and health interventions to help prevent avoidable health issues, effectively manage those that exist and minimize the progression of chronic disease. The collaboration will have a significant focus on patient engagement and compliance to help ensure the long-term success of the overall effort. Aetna is working with health care organizations across the country to develop products and services that support value-driven, patient-centered care. Aetna’s solutions help all types of patients, regardless of payer. Source: Aetna Project Name new accountable care agreement for Medicare Beneficiaries Location Kentucky, New York, South Carolina and Virginia Commence September 1, 2013 Completion NA Estimated Investment NA Capacity NA Key Players Aetna and Bon Secours Health System